Diet variety is as important as calorie and vitamin content. Especially often nutritionists raise the question of the usefulness of certain. At the same time, people interested in healthy eating often ask themselves what kind of dietary meat is best to eat.

The role of meat in the diet

Every person needs meat!

Meat is an irreplaceable source of protein, vitamins and minerals for humans. It is believed that this product can be excellent for almost any dietary regimen, since different types of meat differ from each other in nutritional properties.

Most often, meat in large quantities is included in a high-protein diet, since many meats contain negligible amounts of fat and carbohydrates against a background of excess.

It is no coincidence that the issue of including meat in a healthy diet is an important and sometimes controversial issue for many nutritionists and ordinary people. You can often hear about the health risks of red and processed meats, and other varieties can be too fatty.

Other controversial issues relate to carcinogenicity, cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. In addition, the method of cooking meat also plays an important role.

Main types of meat and examples:

• Red meat: pork, lamb, veal.
• White meat: chicken, turkey, duck.
• Processed meats: cold meats, bacon, corned beef.

The harmful and useful properties depend on the type of meat. So, red meat can be useful for the circulatory system, but harmful in terms of the risk of developing cancer.

White meat is often included in high-protein diets. And finally, processed meat is considered by nutritionists to be frankly harmful due to the content of salt, spices, fat and various chemical additives.

Nutritionists also recommend calculating meat consumption based on daily requirements and potential harm. It is not recommended to consume more than 90 g of processed or red meat per day. At the same time, you should also not completely abandon red meat, since it has a high content of iron and vitamin B-12 necessary for the body. On the other hand, consuming white meat can be a great way to maintain your protein intake.

The most dietary and healthiest meats

Poultry and rabbit are the most dietary meat

Diet meat is usually understood to mean the least fatty varieties. These foods can be added to the diet for weight loss or muscle building.

Sometimes, by dietary meat, I also mean the varieties that are most useful for the digestive system. For inflammatory and functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, many foods can be harmful.

Traditionally, the least fatty meats are chicken, turkey, beef and veal. At the same time, some types of red meat are additionally called lean, also indicating a low fat content of the product.

The listed types of meat can have the following beneficial properties:

• Low stress on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Meat with a high fat content significantly slows down the digestion process. Lean beef undergoes major processing in the stomach and in 1-2 hours, while pork may take 2-4 hours for the body to digest.
• The high content of proteins and essential amino acids against the background of a low content of carbohydrates and fats. This property is especially appreciated in the fight against obesity.
• High content of vitamins and minerals: riboflavin, niacin, zinc, iron, selenium.
• Lower bad cholesterol content than other meats.

Diet meat must be properly cooked to retain its beneficial properties. Frying and smoking produces toxic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines in meat products. These substances are carcinogenic.

In addition, fried, smoked and baked meat irritates the stomach lining, which can be harmful in inflammatory diseases of the organ.

About turkey as dietary meat - in the video:

Easily digestible meat

The digestibility of meat products is directly related to the fat content, meat hardness and cooking method. So, turkey is the most dietary meat in terms of fat content, but it is not the easiest to digest.

Many nutritionists believe that steamed chicken is the most easily digestible meat product. This method of preparing the product is perfect for people with stomach diseases and overweight.

Positive and negative effects on health

Lean meat is a dietary product

When nutritionists talk about the potential dangers of meat, they usually talk about red and processed meat. White varieties of meat products are mostly neutral, but at the same time they do not contain many substances necessary for the body.

The negative health effects of red and processed meat:

• Increased risk of bowel cancer formation with excessive consumption of red meat. In this respect, meat products prepared with the help of frying and smoking are even more harmful. Some studies also point to the content of substances in red meat that provoke inflammation in the digestive organs. However, adding calcium and vitamin E to red meat dishes reduces the toxicity of certain chemical compounds.
• Eating processed meat increases your risk of heart disease. So, according to some studies, the consumption of more than 100 grams of semi-finished meat products per day increases the risk of developing pathologies of the heart and blood vessels by 42%. This may be due in part to high cholesterol, trans fats and unhealthy additives.
• Possible connection with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to some reports, excessive consumption of red meat for four years increases the risk of developing diabetes by 30%. This is partly due to the risk of obesity. However, refined carbohydrates and sweets are far more dangerous than red meat, which is more likely associated with a low-carb diet.
• The risk of obesity with frequent consumption of fatty meats, including pork, corned beef, bacon.
• Effect on the gastric mucosa. Red meat is not recommended for chronic inflammatory pathologies of the stomach, including gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

Meat and meat dishes must certainly be included in the human diet. This product is high in protein that secretes hormones and is involved in the formation of muscle tissue. Meat is a source of essential trace elements and vitamins: zinc, folic acid and iron. With the daily consumption of meat, the process of regulating female hormones takes place. But you need to know which variety is considered dietary, and what dishes can be prepared from it.

What kind of meat is considered dietary

Adhering to a diet for weight loss or supporting the body after an illness, you need to cook meals from varieties of lean meat. These include:

Rabbit meat is truly the most dietary meat in the world. It contains 21% protein, which is well absorbed in the human body, and also has a low content of salt that retains fluid. There is no more than 15% fat in rabbit meat.

Such meat does not cause allergies, it is recommended for use by nursing mothers, children as complementary foods. You just need to be able to choose the right rabbit carcass on the market. The skin should be present on its legs, and the meat should be pale pink, without bruises and odor.

- Chicken or turkey meat, namely brisket. Its caloric content is 112-113 kcal per 100 g. The protein is about 20%, and the fat content ranges from 9 to 20%. In such meat, the content of cholesterol is low and there are many useful elements. It is quickly absorbed in the body, and a person receives a sufficient amount of vitamins.

It is also recommended for nursing mothers and babies for the first feeding. You need to choose a carcass of a pale yellow color, with a light pink odorless skin. Better to take fresh meat, not frozen - it can be pumped with moisture.

Calf meat is one of the low-calorie and lean types of meat, it contains 18-20% proteins. Such meat contains many useful vitamins and minerals. Its use regulates the level of glucose in the blood, and the calorie content is 100 kcal per 100 g of product.

However, modern nutritionists believe that immature muscle fiber is difficult to digest in the human body, so the benefits of veal are questionable. It is especially not recommended to give it to small children.

- Lamb itself is high in calories. The protein in it exists in the form of 16%. But it can be considered dietary meat if it is skinny and free of fat. It contains less cholesterol than pork and beef. But it is absorbed in the body worse than any other dietary meat, because it contains tough muscle fibers.

Venison and horse meat are quite rare. They have a specific taste and not everyone likes. Such meat is not cheap.

Using this knowledge, every losing weight woman can determine for herself what kind of meat is the most dietary and choose it for herself.

Features of cooking dietary meat

You also need to know how to cook dietary meat. It will cease to be dietary if it is fried in oil or fatty sauces and hot spices are added. To preserve its dietary qualities, it is better to steam, boil, bake this meat.

This method of preparation does not mean that lean dishes may be tasteless, on the contrary, they can turn out to be very tasty.

Here are recipes made with dietary meat:

Zucchini cutlets

Grind 500 grams of lean meat (chicken, turkey), add chopped onions. Remove seeds from a medium zucchini, rub on a coarse grater and set aside. Drain the juice, mix the minced meat with the zucchini, add a tablespoon of semolina, salt and set aside again. Form patties and steam for 20 minutes.

Cooking Juicy Chicken with Beans

This dish is perfect for lunch. Its calorie content is 76 kcal per 100 g.

Boil 400 grams of chicken breast until half cooked, cut into pieces, fry and put in a deep saucepan with a thick bottom.

Rinse 400 grams of beans, remove the insides, break the pods into pieces, boil until tender. Cut 2 onions and 2 tomatoes into rings, fry in the oil left over from the chicken, add salt, pepper, herbs, garlic. Mix vegetables and chicken, add boiled beans, a little water and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Turkey casserole with broccoli and pepper

This dish uses only low calorie foods and has an energy value of 88 kcal per 100 grams.

Boil 400 grams of broccoli in salted water for 3 minutes. Cut 3 peppers and 2 finely onions into half rings. Pass 500 grams of turkey fillet through a meat grinder and mix with onions, salt, pepper, mix.

Grease a baking dish with vegetable oil, put broccoli, minced meat on it, then a layer of bell pepper on top. Beat 2 eggs and 200 grams of milk and add 150 grams of grated cheese. Pour the filling over the contents and bake in the oven until tender.

Related videos

Meat is the most important food in humans. It enriches our body with protein, which secretes vital hormones and is involved in the formation of muscle tissue. Also, meat is a source of the most basic trace elements and vitamins. But it is worth remembering that types of dietary meats bring the maximum health benefits.

What kind of meat is considered dietary?

Lean types of meat include low-fat varieties. It is this product that most often becomes the main dish in the diet for weight loss, as well as in the treatment of numerous diseases. Most people are interested in what kind of meat is the most dietary. So, lean varieties include:

1. Rabbit meat... Rabbit meat is rightfully called the healthiest and most dietary meat. The protein in the rabbit is very fast and easy to digest. And the main advantage of this meat is that it practically does not contain salt, which, as you know, retains fluid in the body.
2. Chicken meat... But it is worth eating the brisket, because it is this part that is considered dietary, per 100 g of which there are 113 kcal.
3. Turkey meat... Turkey contains the minimum amount of cholesterol and the maximum amount of useful elements. This meat is easily digestible and enriches the body with vitamins. There are only 112 kcal in 100 g of turkey fillet.
4. Veal... It is a low-calorie, lean meat that boasts an abundance of vitamins and minerals it contains. By the way, veal helps regulate blood glucose levels, which is very important when dieting. On average, 100 g of the product contains 100 kcal and only 2 g of fat.

But do not forget that the dietary quality of meat is also influenced by the way it is cooked. If it is fried in oil, and even with the addition of fatty sauces and spicy, then it can hardly be called lean. But if the listed types of meat are steamed, boiled or baked in the oven, then you will have the most dietary meat in the world!

There is an opinion that meat products harm the human body. Recently, this point of view has been conquering the world more and more, and under its pressure, many people completely refuse to eat meat. However, one should not argue in such a categorical way. In fact, meat is an important source of complete proteins with excellent digestibility, also due to the essential amino acids in its composition. Only dietary types of meat delicacies are necessary to include in the diet in order to benefit from such food.

Features of dietary meat

The term "dietary" can be interpreted as "fit for diet." The latter, in turn, presupposes a careful compilation of a daily diet, taking into account the purpose for which the indicated method of nutrition is carried out: to reduce weight or in connection with an existing disease. In any case, the dietary menu assumes a delicacy with food products that have specific characteristics. The category of these indicators, applicable, among other things, to dietary meat, include:

• Low calorie content due to the low amount of animal fats and carbohydrates in the delicacy. The former are raw materials for the formation of cholesterol, which "clogs" blood vessels and increases the risk of blood clots at high blood levels, and, as a result, strokes and heart attacks. The abundance of fats that systematically enter the human body does not have time to be spent and is stored in reserve. As for carbohydrates, like lipids, they can also turn into extra calories and increase blood glucose levels.
• The presence of a sufficient amount of complete protein. Protein is a building block for muscle tissue, and the absorption of dietary foods rich in amino acids reliably protects the muscles from depletion in the event of targeted weight loss. In addition, proteins replenish energy reserves as well as carbohydrates with lipids, but do not provoke the development of obesity.
• The abundance of micro-, macroelements and vitamins, important for maintaining the health of the gourmet at the proper level. The listed mineral and organic compounds create a balance of nutrients in the human body, eliminate malfunctions in the functioning of the vital organs. Calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, B vitamins,,, - all this can be obtained by including dietary meat products in your diet.

Types of dietary meat

Meat that has the characteristics discussed above comes in several varieties.

Chicken meat, more precisely - chicken breast. This is the so-called white meat. The proportion of protein in this meat product is 20%. Fat is also present, but its amount rarely reaches the figure just announced: usually it is 9-18%. Chicken breast is full of biologically active substances and mineral salts. This type of dietary meat is suitable even for nursing mothers and babies as complementary foods. A good quality chicken breast is usually covered with a delicate skin of a light pink hue. When choosing, give preference to fresh meat. The calorie content of chicken breast is 113 kcal.

Turkey meat. Not far from chicken meat in terms of energy value: it contains only 112 kcal. It is also characterized by high assimilability by the human body, the presence of an abundance of vitamins, especially group B. There is more phosphorus in this product than in sea fish; it is also rich in selenium. There is practically no cholesterol in turkey. It is best to buy skinless meat.

The most dietary animal meat is considered to be rabbit meat. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are found in almost ideal proportions. The beneficial properties of rabbit meat include the ability to normalize blood levels of "bad" cholesterol and increase metabolic rate. Rabbit meat is a hypoallergenic product. The amount of protein in this delicacy is 21%, the proportion of fat does not exceed 15%. Fresh rabbit carcasses should be pale pink in color.

Veal is also low-calorie and completely fat-free. This meat is rich in minerals and vitamins. 100 g of it contains only 100 kcal, from 10 to 20% protein and 2 g of fat. It is known for certain that the consumption of this type of dietary meat lowers blood glucose levels. However, many experts agree that the degree of its digestibility leaves much to be desired.

Horse meat with venison is low in fat and, consequently, in calories. However, it is rather difficult to buy these types of meat due to their low prevalence and high cost. And not everyone will like the taste of these types of meat products.

Lean beef closes the list of dietary meats. The most useful segments of bovine carcasses are the thin cut and the tenderloin. The calorie content of beef without a layer of fat is in the range of 140 - 158 kcal per 100 g of delicacy. This type of meat is rich in vitamins E, PP, group B; cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, iodine, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, magnesium. When buying, pay attention to the color of the beef (it should vary from pink to bright red), the presence of fillet elasticity and pleasant aroma.

How to cook dietary meat

If a low-calorie, well-balanced meat product is cooked without taking into account the recommendations of nutritionists, it will lose its dietary properties and will be able to inflict a crushing blow on your health and weight. So take note of the following tips.

• Do not fry meat in a pan. Do not do this even if you are using vegetable oils and not animal fats. Otherwise, you will raise the indicator of the energy value of the product to an impressive size, which, of course, is not at all in your interests.
• Do not add fatty sauces such as mayonnaise or homemade sour cream to meat dishes. It will also increase the calorie content of the food.

• Don't get carried away with spices. This is especially true for those food additives that have a pungent taste - such spices make the appetite simply uncontrollable.
• If you want to marinate a dietary delicacy, skip using vinegar. Alternatively, you can mix as a marinade

To get the desired shape and get rid of all that is superfluous, you first need to establish a balanced diet. And you can't do without meat rich in valuable elements. Today we will discuss delicious recipes for dietary meat dishes.

Everything useful is simple

The first and most faithful friend of all those losing weight is chicken meat. It contains a lot of healthy protein, few calories and is perfectly absorbed by the body. Nutritionists recommend eating boiled chicken breast. Although a thigh or leg is also quite acceptable - you just need to remove the skin from them and remove excess fat. These products are great for simple dietary meat recipes. First, boil 200 g of chicken fillet. Take a small carrot and 400 g of broccoli, cut and simmer for 10 minutes. Next, cut the boiled fillet into pieces and add to the vegetables, continuing to simmer. Sprinkle the finished warm salad with lemon and olive oil. It contains vitamin D, due to which calcium from broccoli is absorbed much better. This light dish will quickly saturate the body and allow it to forget about the feeling of hunger for a long time. You can also add other vegetables: zucchini, green beans, asparagus. You can also try other chicken salad recipes.

Meatballs with delicacy

The method of preparing dietary meat dishes is not limited to boiling or stewing. They can be baked in the oven, steamed or in a slow cooker. Any of these methods can be used to cook the most tender turkey meat. It contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is absolutely harmless, so it can be given to small children and even used for feeding babies. How to Prepare Turkey Meat Diet Meals? This will not be too much effort, especially if you make healthy meatballs. We pass 500 g of turkey fillet through a meat grinder along with onion, garlic cloves, zucchini and celery stalks. Knead the minced meat, add 4 tsp to it. oatmeal, salt, spices to taste and form meatballs. We make a frying of onions and carrots in a saucepan, put meatballs there, fill with water and simmer for 30 minutes over moderate heat. You can serve this dish with fresh herbs and sour cream. This recipe is perfect for a multicooker or double boiler.

Gourmet soup

Veal meat has excellent dietary properties and helps to improve the functioning of the digestive system. And it also has a pleasant delicate taste and sophisticated aroma. Diet recipes for meat dishes can be listed for a long time. Gourmet meat soup takes pride of place among them. A whole piece of meat (450 g) is immersed in boiling water and cooked for 45 minutes. Then put the chopped onion, garlic, celery stalk, carrot, red bell pepper in a saucepan. Scald 4 tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin from them, chop finely and transfer to a saucepan with meat. We continue to cook the soup for another 20 minutes, then add 200 g of asparagus and keep the soup on the fire for a few more minutes. At the end, pour 150 g of spinach, parsley or cilantro, let the soup boil and remove from the stove. A delicious dietary meat dish can be served at the table.

Meat classics

Compared to veal, beef is somewhat tougher, but it contains less fat and you can cook more different dishes from it. Healthy dietary meals made from this type of meat are best combined with vegetables. First of all, we clean 400 g of beef from films and fat layers. Then cut the meat into large slices, beating each slightly to soften the meat. Rub it with salt and put it in a preheated frying pan, greased with oil. After a few minutes, fill the meat with a little water and leave to simmer. Meanwhile, rub a large boiled carrot, 1 tomato on a fine grater, mix everything with 150 ml of water or milk and the juice of half a lemon. Pour the beef with this sauce and simmer for a few more minutes. Also, beef can be grilled or grilled in a pan, in which case stewed carrots and tomatoes will serve as a light side dish.

Perfect combination

Diet meals made from meat at home are especially good with a rabbit. And although its preparation will require some effort, the result will justify them in full. One of the most popular dishes is stew. First, cut 800 g rabbit fillet into pieces and marinate in a mixture of apple cider vinegar and rosemary for 2-3 hours. When the meat is sufficiently saturated, we begin to sauté 4 onions and 800 g of porcini mushrooms in oil. In another skillet, lightly fry the pickled rabbit meat. Next, take a saucepan with thick walls and put mushrooms and onions, 3 diced eggplants and carrots into it in layers. At the same time sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper and chopped garlic. Pour water into a saucepan so that it covers all the products, and simmer for 40 minutes over the lowest heat. Then put 500 g of sour cream in a saucepan and let the stew stand for a few more minutes. When serving, the stew can be garnished with a sprig of spicy arugula.

This is not a complete list of tasty and healthy meat dishes. If you have dietary meat dishes with a photo of your own composition, tell other readers about them.